1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to childcare products. More particularly, this invention relates to devices for carrying or securing babies or young children. Specifically, this invention is directed to a multifunction childcare device that is able to be used as a baby sling to carry infants, a walking aid to support young children learning to stand or walk, and as a seat safety strap to secure young children in a seated position to a chair.
2. Background Information
Infants need to be held or carried by their caregivers as they are not capable of sitting, standing or walking on their own. Since this holding or carrying can become very tiring, a number of devices have been proposed in the prior art which aid a caregiver to hold or carry a young child. As the child develops and grows, he or she becomes capable of somewhat supporting their own weight in a seated position. At first, the young child will have a tendency to flop sideways, forwards or backwards as they struggle to hold themselves in the seated position. This spontaneous and erratic movement can cause the young child to suddenly fall over when seated. A number of devices have been proposed in the prior art to restrain a young child in a seated position so as to prevent them from accidentally injuring themselves by falling over as they learn to sit on their own.
As the child continues to develop and grow, they gradually learn to stand on their own and finally to walk on their own. As they grow even older and start running around, it becomes desirable for a caregiver to be able to limit the distance a child can run away from them. A number of devices have been proposed in the prior art to help a caregiver to restrain a walking or running toddler.
Some of the devices disclosed in the prior art are capable of performing two of these functions but such devices are typically quite complex in construction and the caregiver needs to go through a number of steps to use the devices for even one purpose. U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,551 to Martusciello discloses a first harness which has a chest-encircling band, shoulder straps which extend upwardly from the chest band, and a tether or pair of handles which are engageable with the shoulder straps. The child is placed in the first harness and the caregiver is able to hold onto the tether or handles to limit the extent to which a walking child may move away from them. A seat region is selectively detachably engaged with the chest band. A second harness comprising shoulder straps and a chest band may be worn by the caregiver and this second harness is securable to the chest band of the first harness so that device may be used as a carrier for a young child.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,946 to Gray discloses a baby carrier comprising a shoulder harness which is worn by an adult caregiver and a detachable pouch into which the infant is separately strapped. The caregiver has to lay the infant on a backrest region of the pouch, pull a crotch region between the infant's legs and engage the same to side portions which pass around the waist of the infant. (This operation is substantially similar to the way in which a caregiver would place a diaper on the infant's body.) The pouch is then secured to the shoulder harness worn by the caregiver by engaging mating buckles on the harness and on the backrest of the pouch. When the pouch is engaged with the shoulder harness, the infant is retained in a generally upright sitting position. U.S. Pat. No. 8,028,871, also issued to Gray, discloses that this detachable pouch may, alternatively, be engaged with other secure objects such as parts of a shopping cart or a high chair. In a first instance, the side portions of the detachable pouch are passed around the bars of a shopping cart and are then reengaged with a sliding connection on the front of the pouch. The sliding connection is positioned at the front of the infant's body. In another instance, the shoulder harness normally worn by the caregiver is itself placed around the secure object, such as the back of a chair, and is then secured in the same manner as it would be if buckled together when worn by a caregiver. The pouch is then engaged with the shoulder harness that is secured around the chair back.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0245298 to Refsum (or related Chinese publication CN1549684) discloses a garment that is worn by a young child and is buckled around their waist and includes shoulder straps which buckle to a crotch region which passes between the legs of the child. A harness is detachably engaged with the garment. The caregiver is able to hold onto the harness to limit the extent to which the child may move away from the caregiver.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0121191 to Tianyun Wu (or related Chinese Utility Model CN201088344) discloses a device that is able to be used to hold and support young children as they are learning to walk. The device is also able to be used to secure the young child to a chair to aid them in learning to sit up independently. The device includes an elongate, generally rectangular member with a number of harness straps secured generally in the middle of the rectangular member. The harness includes a pair of shoulder straps which extend upwardly from the rectangular member and include buckles which may be used to adjust the length of the same. A region of the rectangular member which extends between the shoulder straps is positioned adjacent the young child's chest. The device also includes a waistband which extends outwardly from the rectangular member and includes a buckle for securement and adjustment of the length of the waistband. Body straps also extend from the shoulder straps and are secured by buckles around the back of the infant. The portions of the rectangular member which extend beyond the body straps form wings which are able to be held by the caregiver to hold and support the young child when walking. The wings are able to be held one in each hand and may additionally each be provided with handles for easier holding onto the same. The wings, body straps and waistband may also be tied or otherwise secured around the back of a chair to support a young child sitting against the back of the chair.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0282808 to Debnam et al discloses a harness that is worn over at least one shoulder of a caregiver. The harness includes at least one handle which can be grasped by the caregiver to more easily cradle a young child in the arm holding onto the handle. Alternatively, when the child is older, they may themselves hold onto a handle on the harness while being cradled by the caregiver.
Chinese Utility Model CN2120596 to Kuofa Cao discloses a belt which is able to be used to hold an infant on the parent's back, carry the infant, or help the infant learn to walk. In all three instances, the bearing belts of the device are passed around the infant's torso so that they are seated under the infant's arms.
Chinese Utility Model CN2279118 to Zheng Rongmei discloses a device for limiting the movement of a young child away from a caregiver when walking. The device includes a band which passes around the young child's chest and a strap which is secured at each end to the waistband. The caregiver is able to grip the strap to hold onto the child while walking. The publication discloses that the device can also be used to secure the child on a motorcycle.
Chinese Utility Model CN2285598 to Gao Weiwei discloses a device for a caregiver to hold onto a young child when walking. The device includes a band which passes around the child's chest, a pair of shoulder straps secured to the band, and a tether strap which is secured at each end to the chest band and which is able to be held by the caregiver in order to hold on to the child.
While each of the devices disclosed in the prior art function well for the purposes for which they were intended, it becomes necessary for the caregiver to purchase and then carry separate devices which will aid in separate functions regarding carrying an infant or your child, preventing a young child from falling over when seated on a chair, and in order to aid a young child to stand or walk or to limit the extent to which a young child can walk away from the caregiver. As indicated above, some prior art devices can be used for two of these functions but this still requires that the caregiver purchase at least one additional device to perform additional functions.
There is therefore a need in the art for a single device which is able to be adjusted so that it may be used to carry an infant, assist a young child in learning to stand and walk, and to safely and securely restrain a young child in a seated position on a chair.